The Power of the Purse

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Spending and taxation is the domain of Congress, or is it? A main source of power for Congress has been its constitutional authority to direct spending for the general welfare of the United States. With the steady accumulation of power by the Executive Branch the fight over the federal purse has huge implications for the balance of power among our branches of government. We will explore how the modern day budget process works, or doesn't; the key institutions and players involved in the budget process; and how politics trumps process.